


The Mystery of Molly's Hair (aka Why Sherlock S4 Has Four Episodes)

by Anonymous



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Episode: s04e03 The Final Problem, M/M, Meta, Molly being a badass, Post-Episode: s04e03 The Final Problem, Sherlock Meta, Sherlock Series 4 Spoilers, TJLC | The Johnlock Conspiracy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 00:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9523913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: How can the state of Molly's hair tell us that Sherlock Series 4 will have four episodes? It's not as loony as it sounds.  Come and see and I'm sure you'll be convinced!  I am now 100% certain there will be a fourth episode, based on this evidence...(Please note, this meta requires a background knowledge of TJLC theories.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr reblog link here.](http://that-anglophile.tumblr.com/post/156602369836/how-can-the-state-of-mollys-hair-tell-us-that)

I just discovered the existence of the Series 4 set photos of Louise Brealey as [Molly with short, dark hair](https://the-missing-footage.tumblr.com/post/156587274763/thesetison-x-same-day-these-two-pics-were). A lot of people are wondering what on earth that was done for, when obviously we saw nothing of the kind in Series 4 of Sherlock. Well, I have an answer!

First, let's take a look at the images and comments included with them:

Here we have an image labelled "Molly in disguise". So, we have already established that Molly with this hair is in disguise. She is Molly playing someone else. Who else has a mop of messy dark hair and holds his hands in a similar manner while thinking?

 

And here we have Louise referring to herself as "Sherlooloo", a mash-up her own name and "Sherlock". This adds to the evidence that Molly is playing Sherlock, along with the Sherlockian pose of her hands, yet again.

 

Here is some of the best evidence to suggest that Molly is, for some reason, impersonating Sherlock. Lou does a bit of wordplay, which a commenter guesses as meaning "Sherlock's shadow". And this is seemingly confirmed by Lou with a sneaky wink.

 

Now, you're probably wondering why Molly would be playing Sherlock in the first place, and how the heck this proves that there is a fourth episode. It's very simple and can be answered with two questions:

A. In which canon Sherlock Holmes story is Sherlock's shadow a critical plot feature?  
B. Which canon story comes after The Final Problem?

Answer to both: The Empty House. This is the story where Sherlock is hunted by Moriarty's right-hand man, Sebastian Moran, who is an expert rifleman (which modern _Sherlock_ character is an expert sniper?). To fool Moran, Sherlock has a portrait bust of himself made and poses it in the window of 221b, where its shadow will fall on the shade, making it look like he is at home and a perfect target.

 

My confident prediction is that we are going to get a REAL Empty House episode as S4 E4, complete with Sebastian Moran (probably Mary Morstan/Watson - I seriously doubt* she is really dead). This will almost certainly be combined with The Three Garridebs (in which John gets shot - as he did by Eurus Holmes in The Lying Detective), to create an incredibly intense story where both John and Sherlock are fighting for their lives, and Molly bravely volunteers to pose as Sherlock's shadow for "Sebastian Moran" to aim her sights at.

What on earth was E3, then? There is plenty of great meta on the topic, and I subscribe to [this one](http://marcespot.tumblr.com/post/156056685328). Here's [my own mini-meta](http://that-anglophile.tumblr.com/post/155984156856/so-i-guess-yaall-are-freaking-out-about-sherlock) that I wrote on Monday the 16th, after seeing The Final Problem in theatres.

And yes, I predict a Johnlock kiss. ;-)

**Author's Note:**

> *Remember the "extra content" shown in theatres featuring Amanda Abbington, where she says that Mary **"seems to be"** dead, and was wearing the devil horns again? Yeah, Mary's not dead. She is Sebastian Moran. [Here's a mini-meta about that.](http://that-anglophile.tumblr.com/post/156542530480/marys-death-rehearsal-on-the-plane)
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know what you think of my meta! Hope you enjoyed.


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